Alright, let’s talk about something I spent a fair bit of time wrestling with during the fantasy season: trying to figure out who to trust between Kenneth Walker and Chuba Hubbard.
My Initial Spot
So, I found myself in a position where I had both guys on my roster at one point, and later, I was constantly debating who to start each week, or even considering trading one away. It wasn’t just about looking at projections; I needed to really dig into what was actually happening on the field and how their teams were using them.
Digging In – Watching and Checking
First thing I did was just watch them play when I could. Walker, you could see the talent right away. He’s got that home run speed, capable of breaking a long one anytime he touches the ball. But I also noticed Seattle wasn’t afraid to pull him or give Charbonnet significant work, especially in passing situations or if Walker was banged up, which happened a bit.
Then I switched my focus to Hubbard. Honestly, watching Carolina’s offense wasn’t always fun. But what stood out was how, once Miles Sanders faded or got hurt, Hubbard just took over that backfield. He wasn’t as explosive as Walker, definitely more of a grinder. But the coaches seemed to trust him, and they kept feeding him the ball, running plays designed for him.
Comparing the Situations
So I started weighing things:
- Walker: Higher ceiling, big-play threat. But partage work, injury risk, sometimes inconsistent usage depending on the game flow. Seattle’s offense was generally better, which could mean more scoring chances.
- Hubbard: Lower ceiling, not many huge plays. But he got volume, volume, volume when he was the lead guy. Less competition for touches during that stretch. Downside was the Panthers’ offense often struggled to move the ball and score, capping his touchdown potential.
Making the Call (Week to Week)
I didn’t just make one decision and stick with it forever. It was more of a weekly process. I checked the injury reports carefully for both Walker and Sanders/Hubbard. I looked at the matchups – was one team facing a really tough run defense?
My thinking process usually went like this:
If Walker was fully healthy and Seattle had a decent matchup, his upside was tempting. You felt like he could win you the week single-handedly if he broke off a couple of long runs and found the end zone.
But, during that period where Hubbard was getting 20+ touches consistently, it was really hard to bench that kind of guaranteed workload. Even on a bad offense, that many touches usually translated to a decent floor, especially in leagues that reward receptions (PPR). He felt like the safer play most weeks when Sanders was out of the picture.
What I Ended Up Doing
More often than not, especially in the middle to later parts of the season when Hubbard’s role solidified and Walker was either sharing or dealing with minor injuries, I found myself slotting Hubbard into my lineup. It wasn’t glamorous. It didn’t always feel great clicking his name. But fantasy football is often about maximizing points and minimizing risk. Walker felt like the lottery ticket, Hubbard felt like the steady paycheck (even if it wasn’t huge).
It was a constant evaluation, though. You couldn’t just set it and forget it. Had to stay on top of the news, watch the usage trends, and make the best call I could based on the information I had each week. That’s just how it goes sometimes with these kinds of player comparisons.
